Accordion



P. BARTOLI.

ACCORDION.

APPLICATION HLED MAY 17'. 1920.

an T y 8H N m m m ll d2 y B P. BARTOLI.

ACCORDION.

1,382,885 APPLICATION FIL'ED MAY I7, 1920. June 28,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

11: I INVENTQR )4 By Attorneys,

I series of reeds,

PATENT OFFICE.

UNITED STATES IPASQUAL'E BAR/DOLL OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

ACCORDION.

Application filed May 17, 1920. .Serial No. 381,828.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PASQUALE BARTOLI, a citizen of the United States of America, residing .in the borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, city and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Accordions, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to accordions and other musical instruments, in which the reeds or other tone emitting devices are actuated by a current of air from a bellows or other mechanical source of air supply. It is of particular value in connection with what are known as piano accordions, which instruments are operated by a bellows actuated by the operator, and at least some of tones are controlled by a piano keyboard. In this type of instrument the/tones are produced by banks of metallic reeds, each of which is set in vibration by a current of air admitted to the reed chamber by a valve operated by one of the keys. I

In this type of instrument, it has been found desirable, in order to produce the desired musical effects, to provide an auxiliary which are designed to be coupled with the ordinary reeds, the auxiliary series usually being pitched to an octave lower than the normal tones of the corresponding reeds.

The means provided, however, for coupling the auxiliary reeds have been difficult to operate during the rendition of the musical selection. They have required a separate and distinct movement on thepart of the hand of the operator or a movement which displaces the hand from the normal position of playing. This has seriously interfered with the musical effects obtained; ordinarily causing a break in the time and inducing mistakes in the playing of the composition immediately following the shift.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a coupling means which can be very easily and conveniently actuated by the operator when the hand is in substantially any position on the keyboard. uch means are preferably arranged, so that they additional movements which would inter- .fere with the playing of the instrument. Preferably also the s. me coupling means acts as an uncoupling means and preferably by a movement in the same direction. The

coupled.

wit the parts are best arranged so that one movement of the coupling means effects the coupling operation and the next succeeding movement thereofeffects the uncoupling operation.

The invention includes certain other features of improvement which will hereinafter be more fully described.

Referringto the drawings which illustrate one form of the invention,

Figure 1 is an underside view of a part of the accordion, bearing the various reeds;

Fig. 2 is a cross section on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an edge view showing actuating means.

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional viewon line 4.-4 in Fig. 5.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5--5 in Fig. 4. W

Fig. 6 is a detailed view showing some parts of the coupling mechanism.

Fig. 7 is a detail showing the position of certain of the parts when the device is unof the keyboard, device for the coupling Fig. 8'is a similar view showing the positions of the parts when the device is coupled.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of one form 0 an accordion to which the invention may be applied.

Referring to the drawings, let A indicate the casing of the accordion, B the keyboard support or key bed and C the keyboard.

Beneath the keyboard is ranged a lurality of reed banks D, E, F and G. ach of these reed banks has a series of reed chambers such rectangular recesses opening outward, the metallic reeds being secured at or in the opening sides of the recesses. One of these reeds is indicated by the reference letter I. Air is admitted to each reed chamber through the bottom by means of a port .J. It is usual tosound three .reeds for each note on the keyboard and a suitable valve mechanism is provided which comprises an ordinary fla which is connected with the keys and w ich simultaneously opens the ports for each of the three reeds. Sue

orts are indicated by the reference letters J, J. In addition to the ports J, J, J each" key controls an additional port J which leads to an auxiliary reed chamber H' the ports J being usually constructed as square openings and the ports J J. J being usually constructed as round openactuating member here shown as ings. Usually the first two reed chambers and the corresponding ports are located in the bank D and the bank 1G. The third reed chambers are located in one side of the banks E and F. The opposing sides of the banks E and F are reserved for the auxiliary chambers which contain the reeds normally out ofuse, and which as before stated are usually pitched an octave lower than the corresponding first three reeds for each key. Means are provided for simultaneously opening all of the ports J such means comprising slides having openings corresponding to all of the ports J, which openings are brought into alinement with the ports when it is desired to couple the auxiliary reeds with the normal reeds. This alinement is effected by moving the slides which are indicated by the reference letter K) lengthwise on the instrument.

The construction thus far described is that common to most instruments of the and the invention relates type referred to,

to the means for moving the slides K or other equivalent device when it is desired to couple the auxiliary reeds, or uncouple them.

An important feature of the invention is a provision of means for actuating the coupling device, which means may be substantially flush with the key bed along the ends of the keys of the keyboard. Referring to Fig. 4, it will be understood that the instrument as a whole is so held by the operator that his hand, usually the right hand, manipulates the keyboard, the fingers lying along the keyboard and the wrist or ball of Ighe1 hand lying over the edge C of the key ec. device is indicated by the reference letter L and preferably comprises an auxiliary a hinged strip which lies substantially flush with the key bed along the ends of the keys of the keyboard C so that it is always in position where it can be pressed inwardly by, that part of the hand or wrist which is convenient at the moment of coupling. According to this feature of the invention the strip need not be hinged, but may be so mounted as to becapable of the requisite movement while lying substantially flush with the edge of the key bed. It is also important that the strip be elongated as best seen in Fig. l, in order that it may be easily operated without moving the hand. away from its playing position irrespective of whether the user is playing the treble or bass notes.

The ed e of the strip L is connected to a slide hf preferably hinged to the strip, and for lightness being cut away as shown at M, the lower edge M being connected to the operating mechanism. The spring M normally holds the slide M and hence the strip L in its operative position.

, culiar movement The means for operating the coupling spring into position Referring to Fig. it will be seen that the part M of the strip M is hinged to a plunger N moving in guides and being given a reciprocation for each movement of thestrip L. Means are provided whereby the reciprocations of the Jlunger N both open and close the slides K the first movement of the plunger opening the slides and the next succeeding movement closing them. In the preferred form of the invention this is accomplished by a pair of levers O and such levers being pivoted to the frame of the device and having their rearwardly extending arms pivoted respectively to the two ends of a rock arm Q, the arrangement being such that when the forwardly extending arm of the lever O is depressed the rock arm is rocked in one direction and thereby opens the slides K, and'when the forwardly extending arm of the lever P is depressed the rock arm is rocked in the opposite direction and thereby closes the slides K. To effect this the rock arm has a pair of arms R R best shown in Figs. 1 and 2 which enter holes in the ends of the slides K.

he forward ends of the levers extend to points where thtliy are adapted to be engaged by the plunger and such levers have a peby which they are successively engaged by the end of the plunger as the latter is depressed. Such-forward ends of the levers which are indicated by the reference letters S and T are under spring tension which tends to hold them in contact. The ends are also reduced in size and slightly bent toward each other so that when one is up and the other is down their ends cross as is shown at U in Fig. 1. In this position the elevated lever arm stands in the way of the plunger N and ready to be engaged by the latter. The plunger preferably has a notch N best seen in Figs. 7 and 8 so as to make certain its engagement with the lever. When the elevated forward lever arm is engaged and'depressed by the plunger, its rear end tilts the rock arm Q, to open or close the slides K, as'the case may be, and this movement of the rock i of the other or, at the time, inactive lever to be elevated and, at the same time, shifted by the engaging ends of the two levers, to one side of the plunger. As the plunger is withdrawn, the last mentioned lever arm will to be engaged and depressed on the next downward movement of the plunger. The parts being thus reversed, it is obvious that on the next descent of the plunger the inactive lever becomes the active lever and the rock arm is tilted in the o posite direction, thus moving the slides I? in the opposite direction. In Figs. 7 and 8 the positions of the ends of the two levers O and are illustrated; in Fig. 7 the end of the lever has just been depressed, and in Fig. 8, the end of the lever P hasbeen depressed.

arm causes'tlre forward end a It will be understood that as the upper lever engaged and operated ther'eb end is depressed'its inturned end cams the ascending lever end to one side so that the latter may move upwardly alongside of the plunger to its elevated position.

In Fig. 9 is illustrated one form of an accordion to which the invention may be applied. In this form the instrument may be supported from the shoulders of the performer by stra s A, the bellows V wedges or being operated by the left hand which may pass through the usual hand strap W in position to operate the usual keyboard X. When supported in this manner it is unnecessary to provide a hand strap for the right hand which is free'to operate the keyboard C.

While I have shown and described one form of the improved device it will be understood that I do not wish to be limited thereto as various changes ay be made therein without departing from the invention. It will also be understood that the invention is applicable to other musical instruments than accordions, and in fact to any device where useful.

What I claim is:

1. In a musical instrument, a key bed, keys mounted therein to form a keyboard, an actuating strip extending along said keys, said strip being supported by said key bed, but movable relatively thereto, a plunger operated by said strip, operated in alternation by said plunger, and means oppositely actuated by the respective levers for controlling the operation of parts of said instrument.

2. In a musical instrument, a key bed, keys mounted therein to form a keyboard, an actuating strip extending along said keys,

said strip being supported by said key'bed,

but movable relatively thereto, means,,operated by said strip, comprising a pair of elements actuated in alternation, and means oppositely actuated by the respective elements of said pair for controlling the operation ofparts of said instrument. y

3. In a musical instrument, the combination of a plunger and a pair of levers, each of which is shiftable from one to the other of two positions, in one of which it is adapted to be engaged and operated by said plunger, and means whereby each lever, when operated by said plunger, causes the other to be moved to its position to be subsequently y. n a musical instrument, the combination of a plunger and a pair of levers pro- U U secured to the casing a pair of levers to'be member,

vided with arms having a spring tension exerted toward each other, said. arms having bent portions adapted for mutual engagement whereby each lever, when operated by said plunger, causes an arm of the other to be brought to a position to be subsequently engaged and moved by said plunger,

5. In a musical instrument, the combination of a plunger and a pair of levers provided with arms having a spring tension exerted toward each other, and each normally tending to maintain a position in the path of movement of said plunger, said arms having bent portions adapted for mutual engagement whereby the arm of each lever, when operated by said plunger, moves the arm of the other sidewise so as to be clear of the path of movement of said plunger as one lever arm is moved past the other.

6. In a musical instrument, the combination with a key bed and the keys of a keyboard, of an auxiliary actuating member lying substantially flush with-the edge of the key bed, a plunger actuated by said member, a rock arm, a pair of levers connected with said rock arm, said levers having their opposite ends adj acent to said plunger, and means for successively presenting such opposite ends to the action of said plunger after each movement of said levers.

7 In a musical instrument, tion, with a k bed, and keys mounte therein to form a keyboard, of an actuating member supported by the key bed and lying along the ends of the keys oi? the keyboard, a plunger to be moved by said actuating a series of reeds, openings to each reed, a slide for controlling a rock arm for controlling said slides, a pair of levers connected with said rock arm, the opposite ends of said levers being adjacent to said plunger, said opposite ends being bent toward each other and normally tending to maintain a position in the path of movement of said plunger, the movements of the lever ends being such that each is alternately moved to a position near the norma position of the end of said plunger and to a position by when the near lever end is engaged and moved by said plunger the pther is moved out of the path of the plunger and then brought to a position near to the plunger end so as to beengaged and moved thereby at its next operation.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

PASQUALE BARTOLI.

the combinasaid openings,

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